2002 Italian Grand Prix
15 September |officialname = LXXIII Gran Premio Vodafone d'Italia |circuit = Autodromo Nazionale Monza |location = Monza, Italy |circuittype = |lapdistance = 5.793 |laps = 53 |distance = 307.029 |pole = Juan Pablo Montoya |polenation = COL |poleteam = |poletime = 1:20.264 |fastestlap = 1:23.297 |fastestlapdriver = Rubens Barrichello |fastestlapnation = BRA |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 36 |winner = Rubens Barrichello |winnernation = BRA |winnerteam = |second = Michael Schumacher |secondteam = |secondnation = GER |third = Eddie Irvine |thirdteam = |thirdnation = GBR}} The 2002 Italian Grand Prix, officially LXXIII Gran Premio Vodafone d'Italia, was the fifteenth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy, on 15 September 2002.'Italian GP, 2002', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr695.html, (Accessed 21/11/2019) The race would see Rubens Barrichello lead Michael Schumacher across the line to claim a one-two victory for on home soil, a result which saw the latter shatter the record for most points scored in a single season. Indeed, it would be a record breaking weekend, with Juan Pablo Montoya registering the fastest ever average lap speed during qualifying, lapping Monza at an average speed of 259.828 km/h (161.450 mph). That meant that the #6 would start on pole ahead of Schumacher in the #1 Ferrari, with their teammates sharing the second row. The start saw Montoya sweep across the block Michael Schumacher, allowing Ralf Schumacher in the sister Williams to draw alongside, with Barrichello on his tail. The German racer duly ran wide to avoid hitting Montoya and cut the Rettifilo Chicane, prompting the Williams crew to contact FIA race director Charlie Whiting. Whiting eventually told Williams that Ralf Schumacher had to cede the lead to Montoya, although with Barrichello and Michael Schumacher sitting in the Colombian's wake there was no opportunity to do so. Behind, it had been an unusually clean start to the Italian Grand Prix, with Allan McNish the star of the midfield, leaping from thirteenth to seventh. The early laps saw Ralf Schumacher ease away from Montoya, until the call to switch positions with Montoya was relayed to the German racer. However, before Ralf Schumacher could do anything about it his engine blew itself apart on lap five, an incident that would also cost Montoya the lead. Indeed, Montoya would be completely unsighted by the smoke pouring out of the sister car's exhausts, and hence missed the fact that Barrichello had drawn alongside as they passed the incident. The Brazilian duly out-braked the Colombian to claim the lead at the Rettifilo, before sprinting away to establish a lead of his own. Two laps later and Williams' fight was effectively over, for a mistake by Montoya at Ascari sent the #6 Williams bouncing across the kerbs, and hence allow Michael Schumacher to sweep past to claim second. With that the Ferraris were away, knowing they had to build a lead over the one-stopping Montoya as they were on a two-stop strategy. Yet, there would be no challenge for the Scuderia, with Barrichello and Schumacher emerging from their second stops with a daunting lead. Behind, Montoya was cruising along in an increasingly lonely third until he suffered a "chassis failure", ending his race on lap 33. His exit followed that of Kimi Räikkönen, whose had suffered a spectacular engine failure on lap 30. That put Eddie Irvine into third ahead of Jarno Trulli, while behind Jenson Button in the second battled with Olivier Panis, David Coulthard and Giancarlo Fisichella, fight which lasted through to the chequered flag. Out front, meanwhile, the two Ferraris cruised across the line, with Barrichello and Schumacher flying in formation as they passed the chequered flag. Behind, Irvine claimed a lonely third for , his and their last podium finish, with Trulli, Button and Panis claiming the remaining points. The race was also noted as the first to feature the new HANS (Head and Neck Support) Device, wielded by Felipe Massa in the latest push to improve the safety of F1. Background Michael Schumacher's record tenth victory of the campaign would move the German ace just a point behind his record points haul from , and with three races still to run. Behind the World Champion the fight for second was falling increasingly in Rubens Barrichello's favour, the Brazilian having moved seven points clear. However, with 30 points still in play there was still a fight to be had, with Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher still within striking distance. In the Constructors Championship a sixth one-two for of the campaign had left the Scuderia on 173 points, more than double that of second placed . The Anglo-German alliance themselves were having a poor campaign compared to the all conquering Scuderia, although they were on the verge of securing the runner-up spot in Italy. Indeed, would have to avoid being outscored by Williams by one point in Monza if they were to deny their compatriots second in the Championship, although in truth the fight was already over. Entry list The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Qualifying Report Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. ** Räikkönen had his fastest time (1:21.163) deleted for blocking Takuma Sato during the session. Grid ** Trulli started the race from the back of the grid. Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. Milestones * Tenth pole position for Juan Pablo Montoya.'15. Italy 2002', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/italie.aspx, (Accessed 21/11/2019) ** Montoya also set a new record for the fastest ever average lap speed - 259.828 km/h (161.450 mph). * Fourth career victory for Rubens Barrichello. * claimed their 157th win as a constructor and engine supplier. * Michael Schumacher set a new record for most points scored in a single season - 128. * Eddie Irvine claimed his 26th and final podium finish. * Second and final podium finish for a chassis. Standings Victory for Rubens Barrichello left the Brazilian racer in a clear second place in the Championship with two races to go, meaning he could secure the runner-up spot in the United States. Indeed, as teammate Michael Schumacher smashed the record for most points scored in a single season, the Brazilian racer would need just three points in Indianapolis to secure a one-two for in the Drivers Championship. Furthermore, only Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher could now mathematically deny Barrichello, David Coulthard having fallen out of the fight. In the Constructors Championship it had been another impressive day for Ferrari, with a seventh one-two moving them to within touching distance of the 200 point mark. Furthermore, their 189 point tally was 103 more than second placed , with the Anglo-German squad set to finish a distant second. Indeed, were fast running out of time to close the gap, and would now required two one-twos in the final races just to get back on terms with their compatriots. Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Italian Grand Prix Category:2002 Grands Prix Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Formula One races in Italy